Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You’re Not to Read 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part I: Is a Chihuahua Your Canine Compadre? 4
Part II: Fitting a Compact Canine into Your Life 4
Part III: Positive Training for Your Petite Pal 4
Part IV: Chihuahua Care and Concerns 4
Part V: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Where to Go from Here 5
Part I: Is a Chihuahua Your Canine Compadre? 7
Chapter 1: Sharing Your Digs with a Dog: A Big Decision 9
Deciding If and Why You Want a Dog 9
Doggy Dependents Aren’t Tax Deductible: Chi-Care Duties 11
Considering the long-term cost 12
Placing your Chi in your daily schedule 12
Fitting your Chi into your family’s future 13
Picking up after your Chi 13
Viewing the Chihuahua as a Toy Breed 14
What’s terrific about Toys 14
Potential problems with portable pets 16
Making a Match with a Chihuahua 17
Chapter 2: What’s Behind That Unique Chihuahua Look? 21
Look for Yourself: The Classic Chihuahua 21
Striving for the Picture-Perfect Chihuahua 23
General appearance and demeanor 24
Size and proportion 24
Head 25
Neck, topline, and body 26
Tail 27
Forequarters 27
Hindquarters 29
Coat 29
Color 30
Gait 30
Temperament 30
What if Manchita Doesn’t Match the Standard? 31
Chapter 3: Perusing the Particulars of Chihuahua Charm 33
This Bit of a Dog Is Big on Character 33
Petite protectors 34
Close companions 34
Comfort-loving creatures 35
The ultimate house dog 36
Cautious compadres 36
Spirited, but not hyper 37
Unusually adaptable 38
Sensitive supporters 38
Quick studies when trained with TLC 38
Long-term friend 39
Friend to (most) other critters 39
Decisions, Decisions: Comparing Long/Smooth Coats 40
Battle of the Sexes: Observing Male and Female Traits 41
Checking a Chi Pup’s Résumé 42
Part II: Fitting a Compact Canine into Your Life 43
Chapter 4: Choosing Your Ideal Chihuahua 45
Buying from a Breeder 46
Visiting the breeder 47
Evaluating the breeder 47
Oh gee, why the third degree? 48
Pick of the litter 50
Breeder contracts 56
Surveying Additional Places to Purchase a Puppy 56
What about pet shops? 57
Classified canines 57
The Ups and Downs of Choosing a Mature Chihuahua 58
Understanding Pedigree 59
Deciphering full or limited registration 60
Registering your new dog 61
Chihuahuas without credentials 62
Chapter 5: Welcome Home, Little Amigo 63
Timing the Homecoming Just Right 63
Puppy-Proofing Your Chi’s Room 64
Shop till You Drop: Gathering the Chi Goods 65
Essentials for your new Chihuahua 66
Practical dishes 66
So many choices: What should your Chi eat? 67
A collar and leash 67
Grooming gizmos 68
Toys for Toys (dogs, that is) 69
A cozy crate 70
A snug bed 72
A useful sweater 72
Pooper-scooper 73
A trusted veterinarian 73
ID for dogs 73
Surviving the First Two Days 73
How to pick up your puppy 74
Blending dogs and kids 75
Matching older children and Chihuahuas 76
Introducing dog to dog 76
Why cats get the last meow 78
Living with furry, feathered, and scaled critters 78
Suppressing that Dangerous Fantasy of Freedom 79
Chapter 6: What’s on the Chi Menu? 81
How Nutrients Work 81
Building a healthy Chihuahua 81
Vitamins and minerals 82
Feeding for the First Few Days 83
How to change dog foods 84
When to change dog foods (if you must) 84
What You Need to Know about Commercial Dog Food 85
Beware of bargain brands 86
Regular brands versus premium brands 86
Dry dog food 87
Canned dog food 88
Semi-moist or soft-moist foods 88
What’s the solution? 89
What about treats and table food? 90
Foods for Special Reasons 91
Grub to grow on 91
Maintenance meals 91
Provisions for performers 91
Low-calorie lunches 91
Senior cuisine 92
Prescription dog food 92
Setting Puppy Feeding Schedules 92
Filling a Mature Chi’s Belly 93
Supper for seniors 94
Supplements for adults 94
Warning: Don’t Feed Your Dog Any of These Foods 95
Chapter 7: Grooming the Body Beautiful 97
Keeping the Shine in Your Chihuahua’s Coat 97
Early starts are best 98
Grooming tables 99
Brushing 99
Ears Looking at You Chi! 102
Keeping Those Pearlies White 102
Removing retained puppy teeth 103
Heeding the symptoms of gum disease 104
Puppy-cure: Trimming the Toenails 104
Gazing into Your Chi’s Eyes 105
Bathing Your Beauty 106
The well-equipped bath 106
Let’s get wet! 107
Finishing touches for your long coat 108
Chapter 8: Chirobics: For Fitness and Fun 109
Make Exercise a Happy Habit 109
Games You and Your Chihuahua Can Play 111
Hide ’n seek 112
Catch ’n release 114
Munchkin in the middle 114
Fetching fun 114
Play-killing a critter 116
Exercising Your Super Senior 117
Part III: Positive Training for Your Petite Pal 119
Chapter 9: Socializing Your Chihuahua 121
Building a Bond with Your Chi 121
Interpreting Body Language (And Preventing Anxiety) 123
Understanding the “jitters” 124
Using the first 16 weeks wisely 125
It’s Party Time! Introducing Your Chi to Guests 126
Leaving Home: Hello, World! 126
Helping your pup overcome fear 127
Sudden Fear Syndrome 128
Attending kindergarten for puppies 129
Walking on a Lead 130
Socializing an Adult Dog 131
Chapter 10: Establishing Good Behavior and Manners 133
Making the Crate a Home Base 134
Housetraining — Avoiding Problems 135
Common Toy dog misconceptions 135
Keeping to a routine 137
Training yourself, a.m to p.m 137
Recognizing the signs of need 138
Dealing with accidents 139
Teaching Words that All Good Dogs Obey 140
Coming when called 140
Sitting pretty 141
Going down 142
Teaching stay 142
Making “No!” and “Enough!” effective 144
Preventing Common Problems 144
Teaching what’s okay to chew 145
Controlling barking 146
Deciding if jumping is okay 147
Nipping nipping 147
Preventing possessiveness 148
Chapter 11: Keeping Your Place as Head of Household 149
Curing Your Crybaby 149
Quieting Your Barker 150
Mouthing off at the door 151
Yapping for attention 152
Housetraining a Stubborn Chihuahua 152
Marking — it’s a macho thing 154
Submissive urination 154
Reinforcing the “Drop It” Command 155
Humping (How Humiliating!) 155
Dealing with Dominance 156
Possessive pup adjustment 157
Changing your attitude 158
Dealing with hard cases 159
Trading for treats 159
Home Alone and Feeling Frantic 159
Adjusting your exits and entrances 160
Alleviating the anxiety 161
Chapter 12: Training Your Chi for Canine Events, Tricks, and for Show 163
Beginning Obedience Training 164
Reviewing obedience basics 164
Choosing an obedience instructor 166
Passing the Good Citizen and Temperament Tests 167
Getting Active in Agility 168
Therapy Dogs: Delighting the Elderly and the Infirm 169
How to Teach Your Dog a Trick or Two 170
The benefits of trick training 171
Pushing your dog’s performance buttons 171
Shaking Hands or Gimme Five 172
Waving hi and bye 173
Speak and Shhhh 175
Dancing the tango 175
Touring the Dog Show Circuit 176
How dogs are judged and other show basics 177
The ups and downs of showing dogs 180
Getting started in showing 181
Speaking dog show lingo 183
Part IV: Chihuahua Care and Concerns 187
Chapter 13: Visiting the Vet 189
Choosing Your Chihuahua’s Veterinarian 189
Being the Best Kind of Client 192
The Ins and Outs of the First Exam 193
Getting organized 194
Making the most of your first visit 195
No coddling allowed 195
Home again and more confused than ever 196
Understanding Those Vital Vaccinations 196
Different vaccines for different lifestyles 196
Taking extra precautions for Toy puppies 197
What does DHLPP mean? 198
Rabies 199
Just say “No!” to other deadly diseases 200
Administering Medicine the Correct Way 201
Spaying or Neutering for a Happier, Healthier Dog 202
Spaying 202
Neutering 203
Slapping an ID on (Or in) Your Dog 204
Sporting a tattoo 204
Fitted with a microchip 205
Chapter 14: Debugging de Dog 207
Just Say “No Way!” to Worms and Other Internal Bugs 207
Heartworms 208
Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms — yuck! 208
Giardia 210
Coccidia 210
Controlling the External Pests: Fleas, Ticks, and Mites 211
Defeating the terrible tick 211
Fleas are no circus 213
Managing mites 215
Chapter 15: Dealing with Sickness, Injury, and Other Considerations 217
Recognizing the Signs of Sickness 218
Wait and see (but not very long) 218
Call your vet now 219
Emergency! 220
Handling Serious Issues: First Aid and Transportation 221
Heavy bleeding 222
Choking 222
Can’t catch breath 223
Broken leg 224
Heatstroke 224
Reviewing Veterinary Issues Specific to Chihuahuas 225
Subluxation of the patella 225
Hypoglycemia 225
Collapsing trachea 226
Heart murmur 226
Molera 226
Hydrocephalus 227
Going under anesthesia 227
Watching those eyes 227
Keeping Your Senior Sassy 228
Aid for your aging dog 228
Aching joints and other signs of aging 229
Coping with the Death of a Pet 230
Is euthanasia ever the best ending? 230
Handling your dog’s body 231
Helping Yourself and Your Family Heal 232
Part V: The Part of Tens 235
Chapter 16: Ten Questions to Ask Chihuahua Breeders 237
How Many Litters a Year Do You Breed? 238
Can You Tell Me All about This Dog’s Personality? 238
May I See the Pup’s Family? 238
May I Test This Pup’s Temperament? 239
May I Have a Copy of the Chi’s Schedule and Records? 239
What Kind of Health (Or Show) Guarantee Do You Offer? 239
Is This Pup Eligible for Full or Limited AKC Registration? 239
Will I Receive a Registration Application When I Buy? 240
What Dog Clubs Do You Belong To and Recommend? 240
May I Call or E-mail You for Advice After We Get Home? 241
Chapter 17: Ten Web Sites Where Chihuahua Lovers Gather 243
The Chihuahua Club of America 243
The American Kennel Club 244
Chihuahua FAQ 244
Chihuahua Rescue and Transport, Inc 245
Canadian Chihuahua Rescue and Transport 245
Everwonder 245
Breeders.net 246
Agility Ability 246
Chihuahua Savvy 246
Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons 246
Chapter 18: Ten (Or So) Famous Chihuahuas 247
Tinkerbell Hilton 247
Bruiser 248
Wheely Willy 248
Gidget 248
Mojo 249
Xavier Cugat’s Dogs 249
Caranza 249
Tulip 249
Don Giovanni 250
Other Chihuahuas Associated with Celebrities 250